Is a person deserving of their reward if they haven't completed their work?

Work is divided into two categories: first, work intended for closeness to Allah Almighty, and second, worldly work.

If the work is such that its end result depends on its beginning, like prayer and fasting, and it is interrupted and invalidated, then there is no reward for the doer except in the case of an excuse. One who has a valid excuse is credited with the reward of what they intended, even if they did not perform it. However, if its end is not linked to its beginning, then the doer receives reward for what they have done.

If the work is worldly, such as contracts of hire, the hired person is not entitled to anything if the objective of the contract is not achieved, for example, if a runaway slave is returned but then dies or is usurped. However, if some of the objective is achieved, the hired person is entitled to a portion of the wage commensurate with what they have done.

A distinction is also made based on whether the object of work is in the possession of the hired person or the hirer. If it is in the possession of the hirer, then whatever work is done is accounted for, and the hired person is entitled to their wage in proportion to what they have done. But if it is not in the possession of the hirer, the hired person is not entitled to the wage until the work is completed and delivered. If the work perishes before delivery, they receive nothing.

Furthermore, a distinction is made based on whether the impediment to completing the work originates from the hired person or from elsewhere. If the impediment is beyond the hired person's control, they receive reward for what they have done. However, if the hired person refuses to complete the work, they receive no reward.

A hired person may be entitled to the full wage without having performed work if they are a private employee (Ajir Khas) and have made themselves available to the hirer at the agreed time but were not utilized.